Children of U.S. citizens may obtain permanent
residency in the United States. Children under 21 years old qualify as
“immediate relatives.” Immediate relatives are not subject to numerical
limits, and can receive a visa as soon as a petition is approved. As
long as the petition for an immigrant visa is filed before the child
turns 21, the child qualifies as an immediate relative. You can
find out more information about how the Child
Status Protection Act prevents "aging out."

Children over 21 qualify under the first preference
category. Children in this category must wait until a visa becomes
available before they can enter the United States as a permanent
resident. The State Department’s
Visa Bulletin shows the
wait for visas for each of the preference categories.

An adopted child qualifies as long as the adoption
was finalized before the child's 16th birthday. The adoptive parents
must have legal custody of the child for two years before or after the
adoption. The child must reside with the adoptive parents for two years
before or after the adoption.

If the child is already in the United States in
another nonimmigrant status, the U.S. citizen parent can file an
immigrant petition and an application to adjust status at the same
time. Once the petition and application are approved, the child is a
permanent resident of the United States.

If the child is outside of the United States, the
U.S. citizen must file an immigrant petition with the U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS). The petition should request that the
USCIS notify a U.S. Consulate in the country where the child lives. If
the child is over 21 years old or married, the child must wait until a
visa becomes available. The State Department’s National Visa Center
then sends a series of forms called a “Packet 3.” After the necessary
forms are completed, the child goes to the U.S. Consulate to apply for
an immigrant visa. The child is a permanent resident when he or she
enters the United States with the immigrant visa.

Immediate family members of a child of a U.S.
citizen may be eligible to immigrate to the United States. If the child
of a U.S. citizen is married, the spouse is eligible to accompany their
wife or husband in immigrating to the United States. If the child of a
U.S. citizen has children of their own, those children may immigrate
with their parent if their parent is either married or over 21. These
categories are subject to numerical limits, which are described in the
Visa Bulletin.